Drawing apparatus for sealing containers

ABSTRACT

A device for sealing aluminum lids to aluminum containers comprising an annular cup retaining anvil including a centrally disposed cup receiving orifice. The upper horizontal face of the anvil comprises a cup rim support having an annular drawing channel formed therein. A reciprocating heat sealing head is arranged immediately above and in concentric alignment with the anvil having its lower horizontal sealing face parallel to the cup rim support. The sealing face includes an annular drawing bead of a diameter substantially equal to that of the drawing channel. To seal, a container is placed in the cup receiving orifice with its rim resting on the cup rim support. After a lid is placed over the cup opening the heat sealing heat is moved downward engaging the upper surface of the lid, compressing the lid and cup rim between the heat sealing face and cup rim support. At the same time, the drawing bead passes downward into the drawing channel drawing the cup rim downward under its force. The strength and malleableness of the aluminum rim in combination with the compression forces, heat seal coatings and heat applied to the lid and rim form a seal at the point of drawing.

United States Patent [191 Zimmermann Sept. 25, 1973 DRAWING APPARATUSFOR SEALING CONTAINERS [76] Inventor: Guenter Zimmermann, 600 CasterAve., Clearwater, Fla.

[22] Filed: Dec.'l3, 1971 [21] App]. No.: 207,191

[52] US. Cl 53/329, 53/373, 156/583 [51] Int. Cl. B65b 7/28 [58] Fieldof Search 53/329, 373; 156/583 [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 3,488,472 l/l970 Pizarro 53/329 X 3,102,182 8/1963 Oelze et al53/373 X Primary ExaminerTravis S. McGehee Att0rney-Stein & Orman [57]ABSTRACT A device for sealing aluminum lids to aluminum containerscomprising an annular cup retaining anvil including a centrally disposedcup receiving orifice. The upper horizontal face of the anvil comprisesa cup rim support having an annular drawing channel formed therein. Areciprocating heat sealing head is arranged immediately above and inconcentric alignment with the anvil having its lower horizontal sealingface parallel to the cup rim support. The sealing face includes anannular drawing bead of a diameter substantially equal to that of thedrawing channel. To seal, a container is placed in the cup receivingorifice with its rim resting on the cup rim support. After a lid isplaced over the cup opening the heat sealing heat is moved downwardengaging the upper surface of the lid, compressing the lid and cup rimbetween the heat sealing face and cup rim support. At the same time, thedrawing bead passes downward into the drawing channel drawing the cuprim downward under its force. The strength and malleableness of thealuminum rim in combination with the compression forces, heat sealcoatings and heat applied to the lid and rim form a seal at the point ofdrawing.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures DRAWING APPARATUS FOR SEALING CONTAINERSBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present inventionrelates to a device for sealing aluminum lids to aluminum containers.More particularly the invention relates to an apparatus comprising aheat sealing head including an annular drawing bead in combination withan annular cup retaining anvil including an annular drawing channelwhereby the container and lid are compressed together to form a gastight seal by drawing the cup rim under the cooperative action of theanvil and sealing head. the quality of the bond or seal. Lids made ofpaper or other such material have been used in an attempt to correct forthese anmalies. Unfortunately these materials absorb substantial amountsof heat requiring greater amounts of heat to form the seal. Thusscorching often results which is undesirable from a consumer appearancestandpoint. Of course the additional heat requirements reduce theefficiency of the operation. Further, such lids when exposed to changesin moisture and temperature often curl thereby creating a problem indispensing and sealing. As a result, many producers have resorted tometallic lids. Some processes employ thick metallic lids which melt intoa rim or ridge formed in the container to compensate of machinetolerances. This additional material increases the cost as well asreduces the speed of the capping operation due to the increased heat andpressure requirements.

Where a thin metallic lid is used the problem of componentirregularities still exist. To compensate for the various irregularitiessome containers use a resilient ring within each lid. This ring is ofcourse an additional expense and in most cases slows down the sealing orcapping process.

Notwithstanding initial tolerance requirements to assure an acceptableseal, the heat sealing head and container retaining means, thesecomponents are exposed to the environmental conditions of heat,pressure, and contamination of the heat sealing surfaces which over aperiod of time cause irregularities. Even without wear and heatdistortion, non-uniformity of the machine components, irregularthicknesses of the container and/or lid may decrease the effectivenessof the seal.

Thus the requirements for an effective means of rapidly and efficientlysealing metallic containers to metallic lids is obvious.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a method and devicefor sealing metallic lids to metallic containers. More specifically,this device comprises an annular cup retaining anvil including acentrally disposed cup receiving orifice. The upper horizontal face ofthe anvil comprising a cup rim support having an annular drawing channelformed therein such that the face extends upward on either side of thechannel to support the under portion of the cup rim of a cup placed intothe receiving orifice.

A reciprocating heat sealing head is located immediately above the anviland concentrically aligned therewith. The heat sealing head comprises areciprocating member having at its lower extreme, an annularhorizontally disposed heat sealing face parallel to the cup rim support.The heat sealing face includes an annular drawing bead substantially thediameter of the annular drawing channel and concentrically alignedtherewith when the anvil is in the sealing station and the heat sealingface heated to expansion. The outside dimensions of the drawing bead arerelative to the drawing channel such that when the heat sealing facecompressed against the cup rim support the drawing bead will be disposedwithin the drawing channel without engaging the walls of the drawingchannel.

A plurlity of anvils may be mounted within a conveyor-like structure orsimilar platform to hold containers upright and convey these containersfrom station to station during the filling and sealing process.

A corresponding plurality of heat sealing heads would be disposed toproper alignment when the anvils reach the sealing station. 1

When in operation, the anvils are advanced from station to station wherecups are fed into the cup receiving orifices, filled with product andcovered with a lid and finally to the sealing station. When at thesealing station, the heat sealing head and anvil are aligned along thevertical axis. In this position the heat sealing head is moved downwardby external means causing the heat sealing face to engage the uppersurface of the lid. As the heat sealing head continues to traveldownward the lid and container rim supported by the cup rim support arecompressed together. Simultaneously, the drawing beadpassed through thehorizontal plane of the cup rim support into the drawing channel drawingthe cup rim downwardly under its force and at the same time compressingthe lid into the draw formed in the cup rim. Under the heat andcompression forces generated between the cup rim support and heatsealing face and at the draw a bond is formed between the lid and cuprim.

An important feature of this invention is the drawing bead incombination with the drawing channel which together compensate for anyirregularities in thickness of the container lip and/or lid as well asany irregularities in the components of the apparatus. This is possiblesince the drawing process permits the inner edges of the cup rim supportto act as fulcrum against the downward force of the drawing bead therebyobviating any exacting parallelism between the heat sealing face and cuprim support.

The present invention accordingly comprises the features ofconstruction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts whichwill be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and thescope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a fuller understanding of thenature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the device in heat sealing position.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the device taken along line 22 ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the annular anvil with drawing channel.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the heat sealing head with drawingbead.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the heat sealing head with analternative drawing bead.

FIG. 6 is a container/lid combination sealed together by the sealingdevice.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the several viewsof the drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION As shown in FIG. 1 this invention relates to adevice generally indicated at 10, for closing and sealing metalliccontainers with metallic lids. Device comprises a heat sealing head 40and a cup retaining means including an annular cup retaining anvil 14.With refer ence to FIG. 3, annular cup retaining anvil 14 includes acentral cup receiving orifice 16. The upper horizontal face 18 of anvil14 comprises a cup rim support having an annular drawing channel 20formed therein such that the face 18 extends upward on either side ofthe channel 20 to form support ledges 22 and 24. These ledges supportthe under portion of the cup rim 26 of a cup 28 placed in the receivingorifice 16. A plurality of anvils are mounted within annular couplers 30arranged in a series of rows and columns within a conveyor-like platform32 which could be considered as a support means. Annular couplers 30include a stepped portion 34 with a horziontally disposed ledge 36 uponwhich the under surface of anvils 14 are seated. Although aconveyor-like platform 32 is used in the preferred embodiment, a rotaryor other suitable platform may be used.

A plurality of reciprocating heat sealing heads 40 are located about theplatform 32, each heat sealing head 40 corresponding to a column anvils14. Each heat sealing head 40 comprises a vertically disposedreciprocating cylindrical body 42 having at its lower extreme ahorizontally disposed annular heat sealing face 44 parallel to the cuprim support. The heat sealing face 44 includes an annular drawing bead46 substantially the diameter of the drawing channel 20. The pluralityof heat sealing beads 40 are arranged in a row such that when in thesealing position or station, the row of heat sealing heads 40 arelocated immediately above the corresponding row of anvils 14, thedrawing bead 46 being concentrally aligned with the drawing channel 20.

In operation, cups 28 are placed into receiving orifices 16 where cuprim 26 seats on the horizontal support ledges 22 and 24 of the anvil 14.A the cups or containers 28 are filled they are advanced by movement ofthe platform 32 to a capping station where a lid 50 including a heatseal coating on its under surface is placed over the opening of eachcontainer 28. Cups 28 and lids 50 are then advanced to the sealingstation. Upon reaching the sealing station, each heat sealing head 40and corresponding anvil 14 is aligned along the vertical axis, aspreviously discussed. When in this position the heat sealing head 40 ismoved downward by external means (not shown) causing the heat sealingface 44 to engage the upper surface of lid 50. As the heat sealing head40 continues to travel downward, the lid 50 and rim 26 are compressedtogether between heat sealing face 44 and ledges 22 and 24 applying heatand pressure melt the heat seal coating thereby bonding the lid 50 andrim 26 together.

Simultaneously, the drawing bead 46 passes through the horizontal planeof the cup rim support into the drawing channel 16 drawing themid-portion on 27 of the cup rim 26 downward into the drawing channel16, compressing the lid 50 into the drawn portion 27 of the rim 26melting the heat seal coating to form a gas tight seal. Since thedrawing bead 46 which provides the major heat seal contact surface isseparated from the anvil 14 there is a minimum of heat sink loss.Sealing through the drawing process compensates for any irregularitiesin thickness of the cup rim 26 and/or lid 50. Irregularities in thecomponents of the sealing device 10 such as uneveness in the heatsealing face 44 or the upper surface of anvil 14 also may decrease theeffectiveness of the seal. Further the horizontal planes of the heatsealing face 44 and anvil 14 may not be exactly parallel causing unequalpressure to be applied about the periphery of the rim 26 and lid 50reducing the bond therebetween. The ring 16 similarly compensates theselatter deficiencies. This is possible since the drawing process permitsthe inner edges of the support ledges 22 and 24 to act as fulcrumsagainst the downward force of the drawing bead 46 applied on the uppersurface of the rim 26 through lid 50. This drawing and heat sealingindependent of the compression forces between support ledges 22 and 24and heat sealing face 44 avoids any of the problems generally associatedwith similar heat sealing devices.

The secondary compression seals as well as the drawing bond may bevaried by changing the size of the drawing bead 46 relative to thedrawing channel 16. In addition, changing the shape of the drawing bead46 will vary the strength of the drawing bond.

It should be obvious that by changing couplers 30 and anvils 14 cups ofvarious sizes and shapes'may be filled by merely changing thecomponents.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those madeapparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and,since certain changes may be made in the above construction withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as amatter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Now that the invention has been described,

What is claimed is:

1. A device for closing and sealing container comprising a reciprocatingheat sealing head, a cup retaining means removably mounted on a supportmeans and including a centrally disposed receiving orifice to retain acup therein, said retaining means comprising a coupler having asubstantially annular configuration, said cup retaining means furthercomprising an annular anvil removably mounted on said coupler andincluding an annular drawing channel formed in its upper surface, saidupper surface comprising a plurality of cup rim support means, said heatsealing head and said cup retaining means arranged in spaced,correspondingly mating positive relative to one another whereby a rim ofthe cup being sealed and a lid therefore are sealed together under theheat and force of the heat sealing head of the cup retaining means.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said reciprocating heat sealing headincludes a vertically disposed body having a lower extreme terminatingin a horizontally disposed heat sealing face, said heat sealing facebeing substantially parallel to said cup rim support means.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said heat sealing face furtherincludes an annular drawing bead formed relative to said annular drawingchannel are such that said rim of a cup being supported by said cup rimsupport means is drawn into said channel under the downward movement ofsaid heat sealing head relative to said cup retaining anvil as saidannular drawing bead engages said lid sealing said lid to Said cup rim.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No;3,760,563 Dated September 25, 1973 Invehtm-(s) Guenter Zimmermann It iscertified that error appears in the above-identified patent and thatsaid Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

7 Column 1, line 17, delete "maI'ies" and insert anomalies I I I Column3, line '36, delete "beads" and insert heads Column 3, line M4,, delete"A" and insert" As I v Column 6-, line '6', delete "Said" and insertsaid Signed arid sealed this Lpth day of June 1971;.

(SEAL) Attest: EDWARD M.FLET0HER,JR. c MARSHALL DANN Attesting OfficerCommissioner" of Patents FoRM'Po-wso (10-69)

1. A device for closing and sealing container comprising a reciprocatingheat sealing head, a cup retaining means removably mounted on a supportmeans and including a centrally disposed receiving orifice to retain acup therein, said retaining means comprising a coupler having asubstantially annular configuration, said cup retaining means furthercomprising an annular anvil removably mounted on said coupler andincluding an annular drawing channel formed in its upper surface, saidupper surface comprising a plurality of cup rim support means, said heatsealing head and said cup retaining means arranged in spaced,correspondingly mating positive relative to one another whereby a rim ofthe cup being sealed and a lid therefore are sealed together under theheat and force of the heat sealing head of the cup retaining means. 2.The device of claim 1 wherein said reciprocating heat sealing headincludes a vertically disposed body having a lower extreme terminatingin a horizontally disposed heat sealing face, said heat sealing facebeing substantially parallel to said cup rim support means.
 3. Theapparatus of claim 2 wherein said heat sealing face further includes anannular drawing bead formed thereon, said annular drawing bead having adiameter substantially equal to the diameter of said annular drawingchannel.
 4. The device of claim 3 wherein said annular drawing bead andsaid annular drawing channel are concentrically aligned during thesealing process and wherein the overall dimensions of said annulardrawing bead relative to said annular drawing channel are such that saidrim of a cup being supported by said cup rim support means is drawn intosaid channel under the downward movement of said heat sealing headrelative to said cup retaining anvil as said annular drawing beadengages said lid sealing said lid to Said cup rim.